Indoors

January 31, 2009 - Janet DelTurco

My first sign of spring appeared today! I planted some crocus bulbs from the Miller Conservation Farm's Harvest Festival in the fall, and today the first one bloomed. So there it is, a beautiful white crocus right in front of me on my desk as I write. What a joy. There are six more with leaves only, but soon I will have a whole pot of them, and as soon as this pesky snow and ice melts away it won't be long before green spikes are showing around the tree in front. The indoor plants are doing pretty well this year, the best of all being the rosemary plant. Every winter I start with high hopes for this difficult herb, pot up at least one and put in a sunny window, only to see it dry up, generally by the beginning of February. But so far so good. The moveable parts of my fairy garden are still going strong, as are the more conventional philodendrons etc. The Christmas cactus bloomed on schedule, some ivy is starting to grow around the kitchen window, the setcresea is getting its purple leaves ready for summer life outside, and I have gerbera daisies looking green and leafy in a large urn. But it is that crocus that makes me smile every time I look at it.